After spending March 1 and 2 in Washington, D.C. at Catholic University, Rowan men’s basketball now finds themselves, for consecutive years, in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III tournament for the third time in school history.

Even though Head Coach Eric Brennan and the Profs are back right where they were last year, the path to return to the third round was very different this time around.

Rowan’s first-round matchup presented a battle against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans. In the first half, senior Ja’Zere Noel had 14 points and guided the Profs to an early 21-9 lead but the Tartans were able to storm back and hold a 43-38 lead against Rowan at halftime.

The Tartans were able to extend that lead to 61-50 midway through the second half, but the Profs stormed back to tie the game with 6:40 remaining. From that point forward, Rowan took control of the game and emerged victorious, 81-69.

The Profs’ defense was the anchor behind snatching the lead away from Carnegie Mellon. Junior Khalif Meares made his presence known on that end with five steals and led the charge in holding the Tartans to just 38% shooting from the field.

“We always work hard on our defense, we know that defense brings out our offense,” Meares said. “We have a lot of dogs on this team and when we’re locked in on defense, I know we’re a tough team to beat.”

The Profs forced 21 turnovers in the win while Noel finished with 22 points and Meares added 20 points. But most importantly, Rowan advanced to the second round.

Up next for the Profs was a matchup with No. 14 Catholic University. The game was a back-and-forth affair; Rowan held a 31-23 lead at halftime but the Cardinals wouldn’t go away without a fight as they made it a 60-58 game midway through the second half.

At multiple points throughout the game, Catholic cut the lead to two points but senior Marcellus Ross always had an answer for what the Cardinals brought defensively to lead the 89-85 upset win.

The big three for Rowan combined for 74 points with Ross leading all scorers in the game with 31 points and six three-pointers, while Meares scored 23 and Noel added 20.

Ross now owns the Rowan record for consecutive games with a three-pointer made, hitting a three in 44 consecutive games. The last time Ross didn’t make a three was Jan. 7, 2023, against Kean University.

The defense once again helped secure the win for the Profs as with 25 seconds left Ross blocked a shot to help Rowan maintain a three-point lead and eventually close out the game.

“The defense is the most important thing right now, at this time of the season every team is in the tournament for a reason,” Ross said. “I know that we can score the ball with no problem, so now it’s all about getting stops.”

The Profs will have a tough task ahead in order to advance to the Elite Eight and Final Four. First taking on No. 1 ranked Hampden-Sydney Tigers in their home gym on March 8 with the winner taking on either the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps or Nebraska Wesleyan on March 9 in the Elite Eight.

The Profs know the odds won’t be in their favor but the players believe that outside doubt works more to their benefit than against it.

“With Hampton-Sydney being the No. 1 team in the nation, I believe they have everything to lose,” Ross said. “We’re road warriors. We like being on the road and as long as we stick together and stand on business, I like our chances.”

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